About me
About the Provider
Maria Esperanza Rodrigo, MD, is the Medical Director for the Heart Transplant Program and attending physician in the Advanced Heart Failure Mechanical Circulatory Support & Cardiac Transplantation Program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She also directs the outpatient LVAD (left ventricular assist device) clinic. As a heart failure and transplant cardiologist, she primarily sees individuals with advanced heart failure, including patients requiring heart transplants and mechanical circulatory support. She also specializes in managing cardiovascular disease during pregnancy, including peripartum cardiomyopathy, and treats patients with infiltrative cardiomyopathies such as sarcoidosis and amyloidosis.
Dr. Rodrigo’s approach to treating patients with heart failure begins with a thorough evaluation to determine the type of treatment they will require. She initially offers treatment with medication, and often further advanced treatments, such as implantation of a LVAD or heart transplantation. Dr. Rodrigo specializes in determining the eligibility of patients for these advanced heart failure therapies. When LVAD implantation is necessary, Dr. Rodrigo is part of a multidisciplinary team that offers patients the latest technology available in the field. Dr. Rodrigo follows these patients in the pre-, peri- and post-surgical period.
With a strong interest in advancing the field of heart transplantation, Dr. Rodrigo is the site principal investigator for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored Genomic Research Alliance for Transplantation (GRAFT) study, a project across five area transplant hospitals that is exploring the use of cell-free DNA in heart transplantation. She is also the site principal investigator for SHORE (Surveillance HeartCare Outcomes Registry) assessing the utility of AlloMap (gene-expression profile) and AlloSure (donor-derived cell-free DNA) to more comprehensively monitor heart transplant recipients for allograft rejection.
After receiving her medical degree from Universidad Favaloro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2003, Dr. Rodrigo completed an NIH research fellowship in cardiovascular disease, during which she focused her work on endothelial progenitor cells. She then joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center/Georgetown University Hospital, where she completed her internal medicine residency in 2009, followed by a year as Chief Resident. Dr. Rodrigo then went on to complete a first fellowship in cardiology in 2013 and a second fellowship in advanced heart failure & transplant cardiology in 2014, both at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital/Washington Hospital Center. She is board certified internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology.
Philosophy of Care
“It’s important for me to have open communication with each of my patients to understand that person’s wishes, expectations and environment. This helps me to provide compassionate, individualized care that is most appropriate for the patient and their family.
“Patients who come to our program will be receiving the very best care that is available today. We generate a relationship that is long-term with each individual -- the patient becomes our patient for life, and it’s a journey that we go through together.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure (ADHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure Care
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiac Transplant Vasculopathy
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Heart Transplant
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Rejection
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Myocarditis
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Valve Disease With Congestive Heart Failure
Procedures I perform
- Pulmonary Artery Pressure Monitoring
Practice locations
Distance from Change Location Enter your Location
110 Irving St NW
MHVI-1st Floor North Addition
Washington, DC, 20010
6410 Rockledge Dr
Ste 401
Bethesda, MD, 20817
102 Irving St NW
Washington, DC, 20010
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Beech Street PPO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Core Essential (HMO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- HighMark
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna HMO
- IH-Open POS II
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- CareFirst Administrators
- First Health PPO
- IH-Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Network OA
- TRICARE East Select
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Choice POS
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- IH-POS Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- CIGNA PPO
- Aetna Basic
- IH-Open HMO Option
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- CareFirst EPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Medicare FFS
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- CareFirst NASCO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- IH-POS
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- United Healthcare Choice
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Optimum Choice
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- United Student Resources
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- UHC Passport
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- First Health PPO
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- IH-PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- OA Plus
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Tricare Reserve Select
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- IH-Open HMO
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- CIGNA EPO
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Navigate
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Medicare Direct
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- TRICARE East Prime
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Choice Fund PPO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- IH-HMO
- IH-EPO Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Employee Health Plan
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Classic 3500
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Sentara Health
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Choice POS II
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- HumanaChoice PPO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- POS OA
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- TRICARE for Life East
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2014)
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2013)
Residency: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2010)
Medical School: Universidad Favaloro (2003)